1. Field
The present application relates to the field of Near-Infrared (NIR) tomography for imaging mammalian tissue. This method introduces a method for imaging in parallel with multiple sources simultaneously activated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Visible light and near infrared radiation is absorbed by the Heme group of myoglobin and hemoglobin molecules. Further, the spectral characteristics of absorption by heme groups varies noticeably with their degree of oxygenation. Therefore, imaging mammalian soft tissues with visible and near-infrared wavelengths offers potentially high contrast between portions of the tissue containing high (such as blood and muscle) and low (such as fat) amounts of heme, and between highly oxygenated and poorly oxygenated or infarcted tissues.
As a result of the high vascularity in tumors, there is an elevated hemoglobin content and therefore potentially high intrinsic optical contrast between some tumors and normal tissue. This difference is especially pronounced in breast tumors where the stroma typically has low vascular density.
Imaging Heme
Visible light and near infrared light penetrate mammalian soft tissues to some degree. The usefulness of electromagnetic radiation of these wavelengths for imaging deep soft tissues has been limited because of the high degree of scattering that occurs, and resultant poor image quality with ordinary optical techniques.
Optical Tomography is a technique wherein tissue is illuminated with near-infrared or visible light at multiple source points on a tissue surface. Light transmitted through the tissue from each source point is then measured at each of multiple reception points on the tissue surface to measure attenuation and scattering along paths from each source point to each reception point. Parameters of a computerized tissue model are adjusted such that modeled tissue matches the measured attenuation and scattering along each path. The parameterized tissue model is then projected onto one or more hypothetical image planes, which are then prepared as images and displayed to a radiologist. Apparatus for optical tomography, similar to that described in C. H. Schmitz, M. Löcker, J. M. Lasker, A. H. Hielscher, and R. L. Barbour, “Instrumentation for fast functional optical tomography,” Rev. Sci. Instr., 73(2): 429-439 (2002), has been marketed by NIRx Medical Technologies, LLC. of Glen Head, N.Y. The apparatus marketed by NIRx can resolve 5-millimeter lesions 3 centimeters below the skin surface.
The apparatus of Schmitz mechanically distributes light from a single laser into multiple illumination points spaced over the tissue to be studied in succession. As each illumination point is illuminated, light received at multiple reception points spaced over the tissue is measured. With the apparatus of Schmitz, data for approximately 3 image planes per second can be acquired.
Need for Speed
The amount of heme at a particular soft-tissue location can vary rapidly. For example, both elastic and muscular arteries, including associated pathology such as aneurysms, may enlarge and shrink with each heartbeat. Active muscle and brain tissue not only is known to consume oxygen at an activity-dependent rate, thereby changing its spectral characteristics, but releases local vasoactive substances such as adenosine; resulting activity-dependent vasodilation can occur in seconds. Vasculature in different tissue types, such as tumor and surrounding tissue, can also respond differently to exogenous vasoactive substances.
Similarly, since the corpora cavemosa may undergo rapid changes in heme content and oxygenation, imaging of those changes could be of interest in the study, diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction or priapism.
The sometimes-rapid variations of heme distribution and oxygenation are referred to as the hemodynamics of the tissue.
With the optical tomography apparatus of Barbour, light is provided to one source point on the tissue surface at a time. After measuring received light from this source point at each reception point, the illuminated source point is changed. As a result, it can take significant acquisition time to gather sufficient path attenuation and scattering data to develop a high-resolution parameterized tissue model.
It is desirable to have short acquisition time to measure the dynamic aspects of heme distribution. It has been proposed that scattering and attenuation for multiple paths can be acquired simultaneously using intensity modulation encoding of the source. Franceschini (Francheschini et al, “Frequency-domain techniques enhance optical mammography: Initial clinical results” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 94(12): 6468-6473, 1997) demonstrated this approach with a frequency domain source, and the concept was further developed by Siegel (Siegel, A M, Marota, J J A and Boas, D A. “Design and evaluation of a continuous-wave diffuse optical tomography system.” Optics Express 4:287-298, 1999) for a continuous wave source based system. Siegel developed a system where several source points are illuminated at the same time. Light applied to each simultaneously-illuminated source point is amplitude modulated in such that light from that source point can be distinguished from light applied to other simultaneously-illuminated source points, by having a different modulation frequency. For example, if one source point is amplitude-modulated with a first tone, and a second source point is amplitude-modulated with a second tone, light received at a reception point can be distinguished by measuring a ratio between the first and second tone in modulation as received at the reception point.
Tissue Oxygenation
Oxygenation of soft tissue is not always uniform. For example, in atherosclerotic disease, impaired blood flow may result in portions of tissue becoming ischemic, or having less than normal oxygen saturation, especially during activity.
The degree of oxygenation and heme content of soft tissue regions under varying conditions can be of interest to a physician attempting to diagnose disease. For example, it is known that many malignant tumors require so much oxygen that portions of the tumor may become ischemic and necrotic despite their increased vascularity. Much heart disease is ischemic, as are many strokes. Peripheral vascular disease, often implicated in diabetic foot ulcers, often produces—sometimes activity-dependent—inadequate blood flow and abnormal zones of ischemia in peripheral tissue such as limb tissue. These zones of ischemia tend to be more prone to forming slow or non-healing ulcers than normally oxygenated tissue. Accurate imaging of vessel obstructions and ischemia in tissue may allow more successful debridement of ulcers and permit success with other treatments such as revascularization.
Medically interesting images could also be obtained by observing changes in tissue heme concentration and oxygenation upon activity-induced release of vasoactive substances as well as changes induced by administration of exogenous vasoactive substances.
Imaging of rapid activity-dependent changes in regional distribution of heme content and oxygenation of brain tissue could be of interest in research into brain function as well as in the diagnosis of a wide variety of neurological conditions including epilepsy.
It is known that tissue oxygenation can be mapped by comparing a first optical tomographic image acquired using a light source of a first wavelength, with a second optical tomographic image acquired using a light source of a second wavelength. Differences between absorption at the first and second wavelength relate to tissue oxygenation as represented by a “color” of heme groups in the tissue.
It is therefore desirable to acquire data for tomographic images rapidly.